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A Brief Word From Hannah

Wolfsbane and Mistletoe

A few days ago I picked up Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, a
compilation of werewolf Christmas stories. That's right: all
about werewolves, and all taking place at Christmas. It's
kind of a niche topic, and you'd think it would wear thin
over the course of a dozen or so short stories.

But not so - each author has their own spin on both the
holiday and the species. There are a variety of origin
stories given for werewolves; some connected to the season,
others not. It got me thinking about the ways in which DMs
can put their own stamp on fantasy tropes in their game
worlds.

Do regular dogs like werewolves, or hate them? I can't
recall it being addressed anywhere in myth, and the
different answers the authors give to that question lead to
very different places. How did lycanthropy come to be
connected with the full moon? There are as many reasons as
there are stories, and all of them put a subtle spin on the
idea of what being a werewolf is all about.

If you like lycanthropes or holidays, or just need something
to read that's more uplifting than it is dark, I'd recommend
checking the book out.

Some Random Bits

Here are a few gaming-related things on my mind at the moment:

I've realized that, without a thermometer, I can only be
partially sure whether or not I have a fever. Can a PC
really tell instantly that he's taking 5 ongoing Poison
damage? And what would be the ramifications if he couldn't?

Some horses are friendly, but some just don't like you. I
don't think I've ever seen a party member purchase a mount,
only to have the DM roll that said mount will attempt to
land them in the dirt at every opportunity. Hilarious
realism, or just mean?

Come to think of it, I've yet to see a PC that wasn't
especially good with animals of all kinds. The adventuring
gene is connected to the animal-lover gene? Not to mention
the "allergy-free" gene.

Things besides allergies that rarely happen to PCs:
inability to hold their liquor, poor memory, insomnia, other
garden-variety mental illnesses (schizophrenia is plenty
common; ADD, not so much), chronic injuries. Don't give me
the "that's because they're heroes" spiel; the next time you
roll a low Con or make a character with lousy Int, think
outside the box.

Something for modern games: Jewish werewolves. Christian
ones only have the full moon fall on Christmas every once in
a while, but Jewish holidays are on the lunar calendar. How
do you manage to hide that from your family? Do they have
their own synagogues?

What if it's cloudy on the night of the Magical
Apocalypse-Inducing Eclipse? How do the villains know when
to start the ritual? Does it not count?

The One Page Dungeon Creation Contest

Chatty GM and the Old Guy RPG Blog are holding a contest
with a ton of prizes. The idea of the contest is to create
a dungeon level using their template. Judges will be
looking at such criteria as most evocative setting, funniest
entry, most creative use of a trap, and more.

The contest sounds like a lot of fun! It ends May 14th.
Visit Chatty GM's site for details:
http://chattydm.net/2009/04/14/new-grand-contest-the-one-page-dungeon/

15 Kinds of Camouflage

By Ian Winterbottom

There was a song once, "Camouflage," which had the refrain,
"Things are never quite the way they seem."

It struck me then and still does now that there was the germ
of some good hooks and stories there. To this end, I started
methodically going through the reasons why camouflage or its
effects might happen, either by accident or design.

Firstly, if by accident, why has it occurred? If by design,
is it with ill intent toward the players, or whomever has
come across it? Is the reason for it intelligent, or simply
hungry? Is the idea as bait, or self-protection?

Secondly, how is it done? Optically, simply clouding the
sight, or with more detail?

2. Mirror Image

Another kind of illusion, the mirror image. Either a spell
producing more than one of whatever it is, or two seemingly
identical things or creatures, which will seem like one
being to the PCs.

I once used the Black and White Brothers, identical twins
who were complete opposites in temperament. One was as evil
as the other was good, and both were unwilling to confess to
the existence of the other.

It made for some knockout situations as the confused players
wondered whether or not to trust this "person," while the
good one tried to help them and the bad one ripped them off
and even tried to lead them into a trap.

Right at the end someone put two and two together and
noticed a tiny birthmark was on the left rather than the
right. The two brothers ended up fighting it out on a high
ledge.

Another version of the same type of thing was when the
players were trying to smuggle the true heir to the throne
into the palace, to replace his usurping twin brother. They
got separated and found the twins battling in the throne
room, and were at a loss to decide which one they should
disarm. Then someone realised that the shoes of one were wet
- he was the one who had just entered with them from
outside!

3. Charm and Polymorph

Is there some other magical effect, such as a charmed
monster, seemingly friendly to the players until some sort
of condition is met? That might be the subtlest illusion of
all simply because it isn't an illusion!

A (comparatively) simple polymorph spell can cover a lot of
ground. The next monster can be a camouflaged or polymorphed
ally. Is what seems like an ordinary rat or imp a wizard's
familiar?

4. Geas

Is the person under a geas or some other compulsion? This
could be to guard or protect someone, something or some
place, or to avoid a specific thing. They might want the
exact opposite, but be forced along a certain path because
of the geas.

Read some Irish myth if you want to get a feel for
traditional kinds of geas.

6. Hiding Spots

Speaking of creeping, where is it creeping from? There are
all sorts of places something can hide. One top favourite is
above. In the shadows of a roof, or perhaps clinging unseen
to the ceiling while awaiting a chance to drop on prey.

Does it have the power of flight? That's a good way to beef
up your small monsters; give them wings and/or bows.

8. Mania

Specifically something like kleptomania; manias can bring
out a different side of someone who appears to be
straightforward. What if the person concerned were not even
aware of their thievish tendencies?

9. Lycanthropy

A werecreature of some kind is a classic choice. It might be
a reluctant one, fighting back the urge to kill as much as
possible, or it could be a hidden villain, lurking in the
body of a seemingly harmless villager until it is time to
strike.

14. Treachery

The party's patron could be undead or a traitor, or in their
pay. Is he secretly siccing you onto his own personal
adversary, or aiming you at a powerful ally, expecting you
to fail with deadly results?

15. Secrets

Either a PC or an NPC has some secret in his deep, dark past
that renders him subject to threat or blackmail. Perhaps in
his youth he had a sweetheart, possibly even a child, and
someone has found out who and where she is?

The enemy might not be able to get to you, but they know
enough to reach someone else.

For Your Game: 9 Burial Customs

Digging more into my setting, World of Neyathis, I was
thinking about the various cultures that would populate it -
I have only barely touched upon most of them so far. One of
the questions I think has many applications for roleplaying
as well as how the culture thinks is, how do they dispose of
their dead? Think of the Egyptians and the value of
describing this area is immediately shown.

There is no need to choose one custom - you can mix and
match and combine many of the following to produce unique
customs for your race or culture.

Embalming
Careful preservation of the dead has been practiced by many
real-world cultures; perhaps the most famous are the
Egyptian mummies. Generally this involves chemical treatment
of the corpse. Some of these dead have been known to arise
as Bandage Beasts, much to the dismay of tomb robbers.

Clay coating
The corpse is coated by a thick layer of clay. It is not
typically fired, as the corpse would cause the clay to
break, so it is left soft. The clay figure may then be
painted to resemble the deceased in life.

Some cultures may choose to skeletonize the corpse first and
then built the deceased back up with clay. In this case, the
final product is much closer to the deceased in size and so
may be outfitted with the deceased's clothing.

Freezing
Those cultures closer to arctic regions or with availability
of cold-inducing magics may preserve their dead by freezing.

The Melashar people, a mountain-dwelling race living close
to great glaciers, have built massive ice-domes where they
incorporate their dead into the icy walls, each posed
peacefully with their hands crossed on the chest.
Occasionally, priests will converse by magic with these
frozen dead.

Asphalt coating
Similar to clay coating, this substance can be an even
better preservative. In Locastus, City of Mirrors, they use
asphalt to coat their dead as part of the process of
creating Deaders.

Pickling
Alcohol, honey and other substances can be used to preserve
the dead in large vessels - perhaps glass or pottery. In
later times, perhaps the alcohol might be used by grave
robbers for other purposes.

Some sources indicate that Alexander the Great's corpse was
preserved in honey for its journey home. This would make a
sweet treat for a ghoul!

Similarly, grave robbers in Egypt were said to have found a
cask of honey in a tomb, apparently still edible. After
helping themselves to the rich treat, they then found hair
in the jar, still attached to someone.

Drying
Perhaps the simplest means of preservation, this is common
in desert regions. This can happen naturally, possibly
creating The Parched. Large quantities of salt or other
chemical desiccants can also be used to dehydrate the
corpse, allowing for long term preservation.

Cremation
A common method of disposal of the dead; the body is burned.
Some cultures will also dispose of grave goods in the fire.
An excellent example of this is the Viking longboat funeral.
With access to magic, the cremation could be accomplished
via spells of power.

Disintegration might be a culture's method of keeping the
nobility, at least, from experiencing the indignity of
rotting. This is also an ideal method of preventing corpses
from rising as corporeal undead, but can sometimes allow for
other forms of undead to arise, such as the Urn Beast.

Other cultures with access to volcanic areas may cast their
dead to be consumed by lava. Often, the ashes, or a sample
thereof, are retained and placed in various containers.

Fed to the Power
The deceased is provided as food to some powerful flesh-
eating entity.

The Maletanalu tribe of the Hanaset provide the bodies of
their dead (or other undesirables, for that matter) to their
crocodile totem Malitazum one-eyed. Similarly, pigs such as
the Yird-Swine may be used to keep the quantities of dead on
hand to a limited level.

Sometimes, lesser beasts may be retained and cultivated just
for this purpose. Some cultures use pits filled with Swarm
Snakes or other similar creatures for corpse disposal.

Dissolved in acid
More common as a means of disposing of murder victims,
societies that live near large sources of acid, such as the
Acid Lakes of Neuapar, make use of these to dispose of their
dead.

Gamemaster Tips

1. Ogre Surprise

I was reading through some of your old Roleplaying Tips and
came across issue #18, which is about making ogres smarter.

One of the things I did was make the ogres have clubs, bows
and arrows so the characters would underestimate them. After
all, the PCs were all using metal weapons and powerful
armor. That's when the ogres tossed sacks near the players
and out skittered several rust monsters. You wanna talk
about fear and panic....

Watch characters trying to flee as they are getting the
stuffing beaten out of them by laughing ogres, and they are
watching their beloved magical and masterwork weapons and
armor disintegrate right before their eyes.

2. Create Your Own Deck Of Rewards Cards

From: Frank Carini Jr.

Hey Johnn,

I have been a loyal reader of your newsletters since around
issue 19 (of course I went back and read the first 18!).
This is my first time submitting a letter, I hope it's
useful. Each gaming session I try to reward my players when
they put forth extra effort, such as keeping notes, making
maps, not breaking character for long periods of time
(including PC interactions with each other), or attempting
to use the PC's skills in unique, useful ways (not just the
typical min-max skills required for survival).

Usually, I reward them with extra experience points, but
sometimes I vary it with random loot, money, special
encounters (friendly, hostile, or other), or helpful events.
My players like to know they had a hand in shaping their own
fortune, so I devised a way to let them choose their own
reward, while allowing it to stay slightly random (prevents
them from always expecting generous returns or feeling
slighted).

I use a deck of cards and assign each suit a theme.
Sometimes I separate the deck into the different piles, and
mark each theme. For example, one pile will be marked
Experience Points, and will be the diamond suit. On a sheet
of paper, behind my GM screen, I have the values of the draw
listed.

A more involved method requires multiple lists that utilize
the entire deck for a single theme. If one player wishes to
draw for experience points, I let them draw a single card at
random from the entire deck (52 cards) and reward them
accordingly. If the players are allowed to draw from a
different theme, the next player might wish to be rewarded
with some random loot. Using the same deck I just refer to a
different list to see what he will be rewarded with.

This also allows for new side quests, plot rewards, or
storylines to be developed to explain the reason for the
acquisition. Some rewards are held back for a short time
until it is appropriate to introduce it into the campaign.

As a side note, if you are looking to be diabolical, you can
introduce obstacles or detriments into the draw piles. I
just caution using this tactic when rewarding the players
for good participation. It's no fun having your reward be a
poisoned potion. In turn, if the players want to search
through an ogre's lair for some nifty loot, you can allow
the players to draw several cards from the top of the pile
(which might include some nasty surprises or useless items
mixed in with the pretty shiny ones!).

I found this to be a fast, effective method of awarding my
players some bonuses with some added tension in the mix.

3. What Happens When The Blight Ends? Here Are Some Ideas

From: Joel Fox

I saw the reader request in the latest issue (Reader
Request: Rousing Passive Players, from Mike) and thought I
would reply.

I read this reader request and a number of ideas popped into
my head. I think one of Mike's adventure seeds (the heir to
Breland) touches on one of the biggest societal impacts this
renewal would have. After such an extended period of terror
and chaos amongst civilized races, the sudden removal of the
Blight would create a sizable vacuum not only in the royal
court, but among other social circles as well.

Adventuring organizations, orders of knights, monster
slayers, and other such 'forces of good' that once worked in
concert to repel the encroaching darkness are now in a
pickle. With the number of monsters dwindling with each
passing day, these groups might experience a sort of
recession, in that there isn't enough work to go around.

They might argue over who has rightful claim to remaining
peacekeeping duties, or change tactics to survive (an order
of knights becomes mercenaries, an adventuring guild becomes
a thieves guild, etc.). Worse yet, they might fight amongst
themselves and be too preoccupied with their squabbles to
actually perform their duties (once orderly streets are rife
with crime, monsters reach the city on a daily basis, and so
on). The party might have to do their jobs for them in the
interim before a reasonable settlement comes about, or act
as arbitrators for various organizations  no easy feat if
they themselves are members, and a group's recent actions
warrant 'decisive action.'

The biggest vacuum, of course, is that of evil in the
world. Criminal organizations might be recruiting (as Mike
theorized) because they are expanding to fill the void left
by monsters. Humans who worked in concert with monsters or
were apologists are hunted down with extreme prejudice,
leading to a witch hunt. Monsters, who before were unrivaled
but now imperiled, might change tactics as well, going from
outright oppressors to joining criminal organizations
themselves. When the party's favorite haunts are threatened
by organized crime, their old allies either recruited or
murdered in their beds, and  gods forbid - the prices of
their equipment doubled since caravans are getting raided
more often, they'll spring into action.

On the other side of the coin are groups that suffered
during the Blight and now thrive: magicians, priests, and
other magic-users that were weakened during the chaotic
times before. Now that they are back at full strength again,
they might preach more draconic measures for preventing
another Blight from coming about: magic illegal to non-
members of a wizardly order, certain religions of
questionable morality outlawed entirely, and such.

Even more drastic measures, such as attempting a coup to
establish a magocracy - so that if the Blight does return,
the wizards will have the resources to end it quickly -
aren't unthinkable. An army of zealous wizards and clerics
marching down the street would draw the attention of any
unmotivated PC.

More than these three social circles would be affected by
such a world-changing event. How would the druids react to
their Blighted lands growing fertile once again? How do the
various races and nations react to a major force of evil
being vanquished? Think Return of the King: how would people
have reacted after Sauron was slain, his armies scattered?
Then apply these reactions to things the PCs care about,
take for granted, or haven't thought of. Mike, I hope you
can rouse them from their laziness!